Benzaldehyde (CASRN 100-52-7)

Human health assessment information on a chemical substance is included in the IRIS database only after a comprehensive review of toxicity data, as outlined in the IRIS assessment development process. Sections I (Health Hazard Assessments for Noncarcinogenic Effects) and II (Carcinogenicity Assessment for Lifetime Exposure) present the conclusions that were reached during the assessment development process. Supporting information and explanations of the methods used to derive the values given in IRIS are provided in the guidance documents located on the IRIS website.

STATUS OF DATA FOR Benzaldehyde

File First On-Line 09/07/1988

Category (section)

Status

Last Revised

Oral RfD Assessment (I.A.)

on-line

09/07/1988

Inhalation RfC Assessment (I.B.)

no data

Carcinogenicity Assessment (II.)

no data

_I.
Chronic Health Hazard Assessments for Noncarcinogenic Effects

_I.A.
Reference Dose for Chronic Oral Exposure (RfD)

The oral Reference Dose (RfD) is based on the assumption that thresholds
exist for certain toxic effects such as cellular necrosis. It is expressed
in units of mg/kg-day. In general, the RfD is an estimate (with uncertainty
spanning perhaps an order of magnitude) of a daily exposure to the human
population (including sensitive subgroups) that is likely to be without
an appreciable risk of deleterious effects during a lifetime. Please refer
to the Background Document for an elaboration of these concepts. RfDs
can also be derived for the noncarcinogenic health effects of substances
that are also carcinogens. Therefore, it is essential to refer to other
sources of information concerning the carcinogenicity of this substance.
If the U.S. EPA has evaluated this substance for potential human carcinogenicity,
a summary of that evaluation will be contained in Section II of this file.

Kluwe et al. (1983) orally treated groups of 10 mice of each sex with 0, 75,
150, 300, 600 or 1200 mg/kg/day benzaldehyde, and groups of 10 rats of each
sex with 0, 50, 100, 200, 400 or 800 mg/kg/day benzaldehyde, 5 days/week for
13 weeks by corn oil gavage. Administration of 600 mg/kg/day in mice was
associated with renal tubular necrosis, and administration of 400 mg/kg/day to
rats resulted in forestomach hyperplasia and hyperkeratosis. Using the rat
NOEL of 200 mg/kg/day, multiplying by 5 days/7 days, and dividing by an
uncertainty factor of 1000, results in an RfD of 0.1 mg/kg/day.

__I.A.3.
Uncertainty and Modifying Factors (Oral RfD)

UF — The UF of 1000 includes factors of 10 for extrapolation from subchronic
to chronic exposure, 10 for interspecies extrapolation, and 10 for
consideration of sensitive human subgroups.

MF — None

__I.A.4.
Additional Studies/Comments (Oral RfD)

Additional pertinent data regarding the chronic, subchronic or reproductive
effects of oral or inhalation exposure to benzaldehyde, were not located in
the available literature. The NTP (1986) assayed benzaldehyde in rat and
mouse 2-year oral studies, and is currently doing chronic histopathology.

__I.A.5.
Confidence in the Oral RfD

Study — Medium
Database — Low
RfD — Low

Confidence in the study was medium because, although two species were studied
at five dose levels each and a NOEL and a LOAEL were defined, dosing was
subchronic. The absence of appropriate supporting studies makes confidence in
the database low. Confidence in the RfD is low because of these limitations.

__I.A.6.
EPA Documentation and Review of the Oral RfD

Source Document — U.S. EPA, 1985

Limited peer review and extensive agency-wide review, 1985.

Other EPA Documentation — None

Agency Work Group Review — 10/15/1987

Verification Date — 10/15/1987

Screening-Level Literature Review Findings — A screening-level review conducted by an EPA contractor of the more recent toxicology literature pertinent to the RfD for Benzaldehyde conducted in August 2003 did not identify any critical new studies. IRIS users who know of important new studies may provide that information to the IRIS Hotline at hotline.iris@epa.gov or 202-566-1676.

__I.A.7.
EPA Contacts (Oral RfD)

Please contact the IRIS Hotline for all questions
concerning this assessment or IRIS, in general, at (202)566-1676 (phone),
(202)566-1749 (FAX) or hotline.iris@epa.gov
(internet address).

U.S. EPA. 1985. Health and Environmental Effects Profile for Benzaldehyde.
Prepared by the Office of Health and Environmental Assessment, Environmental
Criteria and Assessment Office, Cincinnati, OH for the Office of Solid Waste,
Washington, DC.

Drinking Water Health Advisories, EPA Regulatory Actions, and Supplementary Data were removed from IRIS on or before April
1997. IRIS users were directed to the appropriate EPA Program
Offices for this information.